Climate Change
No Free Market for Energy
To create a level playing field in the energy sector, we need to re-examine our policies on subsidizing hydrocarbons.
Sustainability remains a frequently discussed opportunity for business differentiation. Heralded as “the primary moral and economic imperative of the 21st century,” by Mervyn King, former governor of the Bank of England, it is considered to be “one of the most important sources of both opportunities and risks for businesses.”
MIT SMR and Boston Consulting Group recently completed an eight-year collaboration on the topic of sustainability. Over the course of the program, the partnership produced cutting-edge research on business adoption of sustainable practices and the integration of sustainability into business strategy. We developed detailed analyses of the business cases for sustainability, sustainability-related profitability, and issues around collaboration and investment.
The intersection of sustainability and another powerful market influence, digitalization, however, represents largely unexplored territory. Each has spawned a massive set of research about how it will change management practice, and more broadly, business and society. MIT SMR intends to build on its research on corporate sustainability and digitalization, and is currently looking for a partner to join our research effort.
To create a level playing field in the energy sector, we need to re-examine our policies on subsidizing hydrocarbons.
Installment #3 of the CSR Insurgency series examines how CSR managers can mobilize a sustainability insurgency.
Auditing the supply chain is the biggest obstacle to putting sustainability principles into practice. Will the influx of big data initiatives change that?
The next generation of CSR managers needs to consider how to recruit allies in support of sustainability efforts.
One of the most important developments in sustainability is the recent focus on human rights.
Apple’s shareholders applaud CEO Tim Cook’s stand on climate change despite attacks from opponents. Will other executives follow suit?
Toyota returned to its focus on sustainable production practices after recall setbacks.
CSR executives are in the vanguard of a sustainability revolution.
Business leaders are drawing attention to the economic risks of climate change.
Corporate partnerships are a key source of funding for nonprofits — but such associations can be risky for the nonprofit’s reputation. Is there a happy medium?
John R. Ehrenfeld, author of Flourishing: A Frank Conversation about Sustainability, says the underlying assumptions of sustainability miss the point.
The 2013 Sustainability Report by MIT Sloan Management Review and BCG looks at companies that “walk the talk.”
Effective collaboration on transport logistics can reduce emissions. Three case studies show how it works.
Hilton Worldwide and BSR have partnered to create the Center for Sustainable Procurement.
Sustainable paper company Domtar Corporation’s innovations in wood fiber are transforming the business.
Life-cycle assessment studies at Greif, Inc. found new ways to meet customers’ environmental goals.
Contests can be big motivators for getting people to bring all their creativity to the table.
Our fifth annual survey suggests that climate change isn’t yet an urgent issue for most companies.
Hans Joehr of Nestlé describes the company’s agricultural “extension services” for rural farmers.
Insurers are just beginning to wake up to their role in environmental sustainability.